Hey Bimmerpost fam! I just picked up my G80 M3 6MT in Isle of Man Green this past weekend in Boston. Some of you may know me from Insta@f30_soom. I posted this on there earlier today and thought I'd share it with you all as well.
Sorry in advance for the personal emotional stuff prior to the good stuff (initial impressions/pics). I'd appreciate a follow on the new page to join the journey @G80_Soom. Have some exciting things planned for it. I'll follow back, thanks! I used to be E46toF30 before today on here but haven't posted in years. Hope you enjoy the read!
So, it's taken a couple days to sink in. I finally have an ///M3 in my life and it feels truly special. I'm still emotional about it and reflect how I got to this position. Thank you again to so many of you for the well wishes and support over the weekend. My love for BMW began as a young child 20+ years ago reading Roundel magazines and watching videos. The E46 M3 came out at the time and that's when I fell in love with the company.
That is still my favorite ///M car to date. The 2001 E46 325xi was my first car at 20 years old, later than when most folks get their first car. I told myself I will only drive BMWs and will wait till I can buy my own. Things weren't easy for me growing up but working for it and God's blessings always made it happen for me someway. Now, I'm on my fourth one in the past 12 years and currently have both of these beauties. As much as I'd like to keep both cars, the 340 will be for sale next month. It's a luxury I don't need and will find the right home for it.
Even though I already considered the 340 a dream come true, the M3 is a whole another animal. This one is extra special. In a world where manual cars are becoming obsolete, thankfully BMW still made the only 4 door sedan, 6spd manual, near 500hp race car that can still be a your daily commuter/family car! It is truly one of a kind. Yes, I know the Caddy CT5V Blackwing is right around the corner but it's not the same breed haha. I am biased but there is no greater car company than BMW. Nobody has their wide range of cars in the quality they produce.
My particular M3 was the only one in this spec(Isle of Man Green/Kyalami Orange, 6MT, 826M Wheels, Executive Package etc.) available in the entire country. Shoutout to BMW of Sudbury in Boston for letting me put a deposit on it back in April and waiting till I closed on my house last month to purchase it. Registration then took another 40 days as Massachussetts does not do temp tags. The wait was tough but well worth it in the end.
I'm about 400 miles in with the car and here are some initial impressions. It is extremely well built and oozes quality inside and out. The Isle of Man Green paint is unlike anything on the road and a real attention grabber. At a gas station on the way back from Boston, kids and families were coming up to the car. All my neighbors came up to me while I was snapping some pics yesterday. I don't like so much attention as I get worried something bad will happen lol.
When you're sitting, you know you're inside something special. It feels and drives like a race car but also very comfortable.
The car is still in break-in period so I'm babying it until 1200 mile service but you can still feel the power under the hood.
Coming from a tuned B58 engine however they are pretty similar with the B58 a little more low end torque and the S58 more mid to top end power(which I haven't felt yet in my car but did in the M4 I test drove couple months ago). The steering looks and feels outstanding. It is super responsive and goes exactly where you point it. Could use a little more road feel but may get better as it breaks in more.
Seating position is just right. Handling is tight with little to no body roll. You feel confident that it can tear up any corner.
The shifter feels good and shorter than average. Shifts crisp and locks in nicely. Little disappointed the knob does not light up. I'm a die-hard manual enthusiast so I absolutely love the transmission and would not have it any other way. The Kyalami Orange seats are unique and bright. After having a black interior for 9 straight years, it's a welcome change. This will be my daily driver so the carbon buckets although cool, were not an option for me.
The car has a lot of tech, more than I would like haha. I turned off some things like the gesture control and lane departure vibration stuff which I found a bit annoying. However, the customizablilty of the driving modes is next level. You can suit it to however you want it to drive and feel from being efficient/comfortable to downright race car vibes. It's an all in one package. Say what you want about the grill and at times I prefer my F30 front but the G80 does make it look outdated. It is one incredible Ultimate Driving Machine.
Thanks for reading. I'm open to any questions you might have! Here are some pictures. I'll do a follow up after 1200 mile service!
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